Introduction in taxation

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1Introduction in taxationBrief history of taxation in ThailandModern system of Thai taxesStructure of taxesKinds of taxesEconomical and social functions of taxes

2What is it taxes???A tax (from the Latin taxo; "I estimate") is a financial charge or other levy imposed upon a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law.According to Black's Law Dictionary, a tax is a "pecuniary burden laid upon individuals or property owners to support the government [...] a payment exacted by legislative authority." It "is not a voluntary payment or donation, but an enforced contribution, exacted pursuant to legislative authority" and is "any contribution imposed by government [...] whether under the name of toll, tribute, tallage, gabel, impost, duty, custom, excise, subsidy, aid, supply, or other name."

3What for???Money provided by taxation has been used by states and their functional equivalents throughout history to carry out many functions.Some of these include expenditures on war, the enforcement of law and public order, protection of property, economic infrastructure (roads, bridges, enforcement of contracts, etc.), public works, subsidies, and the operation of government itself. Governments also use taxes to fund welfare and public services. A portion of taxes also go to pay off the state's debt and the interest this debt accumulates. These services can include education, health care, pensions for the elderly, unemployment benefits and public transportation.Governments use different kinds of taxes and vary the tax rates. This is done to distribute the tax burden among individuals or classes of the population involved in taxable activities, such as business, or to redistribute resources between individuals or classes in the population. Historically, the nobility were supported by taxes on the poor; modern social security systems are intended to support the poor, the disabled, or the retired by taxes on those who are still working. In addition, taxes are applied to fund foreign aid and military ventures, to influence the macroeconomic performance of the economy (the government's strategy for doing this is called its fiscal policy), or to modify patterns of consumption or employment within an economy, by making some classes of transaction more or less attractive.

5Proportional, progressive, regressive, and lump-sumAn important feature of tax systems is the percentage of the tax burden as it relates to income or consumption. The terms progressive, regressive, and proportional are used to describe the way the rate progresses from low to high, from high to low, or proportionally. The terms describe a distribution effect, which can be applied to any type of tax system (income or consumption) that meets the definition.A progressive tax is a tax imposed so that the effective tax rate increases as the amount to which the rate is applied increases.The opposite of a progressive tax is a regressive tax, where the effective tax rate decreases as the amount to which the rate is applied increases. This effect is commonly produced where means testing is used to withdraw tax allowances or state benefits.In between is a proportional tax, where the effective tax rate is fixed, while the amount to which the rate is applied increases.A lump-sum tax is a tax that is a fixed amount, no matter the change in circumstance of the taxed entity. This in actuality is a regressive tax as those with lower income must use higher percentage of their income than those with higher income and therefore the effect of the tax reduces as a function of income.

6Direct and indirectTaxes are sometimes referred to as "direct taxes" or "indirect taxes".The meaning of these terms can vary in different contexts, which can sometimes lead to confusion. An economic definition, by Atkinson, states that "...direct taxes may be adjusted to the individual characteristics of the taxpayer, whereas indirect taxes are levied on transactions irrespective of the circumstances of buyer or seller.According to this definition, for example, income tax is "direct", and sales tax is "indirect". In law, the terms may have different meanings. In U.S. constitutional law, for instance, direct taxes refer to poll taxes and property taxes, which are based on simple existence or ownership. Indirect taxes are imposed on events, rights, privileges, and activities.Thus, a tax on the sale of property would be considered an indirect tax, whereas the tax on simply owning the property itself would be a direct tax.

7Kinds of taxes Taxes on incomeMany jurisdictions tax the income of individuals and business entities, including corporations. Generally the tax is imposed on net profits from business, net gains, and other income. Computation of income subject to tax may be determined under accounting principles used in the jurisdiction, which may be modified or replaced by tax law principles in the jurisdiction. The incidence of taxation varies by system, and some systems may be viewed as progressive or regressive. Rates of tax may vary or be constant (flat) by income level. Many systems allow individuals certain personal allowances and other nonbusiness reductions to taxable income.Personal income tax is often collected on a pay-as-you-earn basis, with small corrections made soon after the end of the tax year. These corrections take one of two forms: payments to the government, for taxpayers who have not paid enough during the tax year; and tax refunds from the government for those who have overpaid. Income tax systems will often have deductions available that lessen the total tax liability by reducing total taxable income.Negative income taxIn economics, a negative income tax (abbreviated NIT) is a progressive income tax system where people earning below a certain amount receive supplemental pay from the government instead of paying taxes to the government.Capital gains taxMost jurisdictions imposing an income tax treat capital gains as part of income subject to tax. Capital gain is generally gain on sale of capital assets, i.e., those assets not held for sale in the ordinary course of business. Capital assets include personal assets in many jurisdictions. Some jurisdictions provide preferential rates of tax or only partial taxation for capital gains. Some jurisdictions impose different rates or levels of capital gains taxation based on the length of time the asset was held.Corporate taxCorporate tax refers to income, capital, net worth, or other taxes imposed on corporations. Rates of tax and the taxable base for corporations may differ from those for individuals or other taxable persons.

8Kinds of taxes Social security contributionsMany countries provide publicly funded retirement or health care systems. In connection with these systems, the country typically requires employers and/or employees to make compulsory payments.These payments are often computed by reference to wages or earnings from self-employment. Tax rates are generally fixed, but a different rate may be imposed on employers than on employees.Some systems provide an upper limit on earnings subject to the tax. A few systems provide that the tax is payable only on wages above a particular amount. Such upper or lower limits may apply for retirement but not health care components of the tax.Taxes on payroll or workforceUnemployment and similar taxes are often imposed on employers based on total payroll. These taxes may be imposed in both the country and sub-country levels.

9Kinds of taxes Taxes on propertyRecurrent [property taxes] may be imposed on immovable property (real property) and some classes of movable property. In addition, recurrent taxes may be imposed on net wealth of individuals or corporations. Many jurisdictions impose estate tax, gift tax or other inheritance taxes on property at death or gift transfer. Some jurisdictions impose taxes on financial or capital transactions.Property taxA property tax (or millage tax) is an ad valorem tax levy on the value of property that the owner of the property is required to pay to a government in which the property is situated. Multiple jurisdictions may tax the same property. There are three general varieties of property: land, improvements to land (immovable man-made things, e.g. buildings) and personal property (movable things). Real estate or realty is the combination of land and improvements to land.Expatriation taxAn Expatriation Tax is a tax on individuals who renounce their citizenship or residence. The tax is often imposed based on a deemed disposition of all the individual's property.Transfer taxHistorically, in many countries, a contract needed to have a stamp affixed to make it valid. The charge for the stamp was either a fixed amount or a percentage of the value of the transaction. In most countries the stamp has been abolished but stamp duty remains.

10Kinds of taxes Taxes on goods and servicesValue added tax (Goods and Services Tax)A value added tax (VAT), also known as Goods and Services Tax (G.S.T), Single Business Tax, or Turnover Tax in some countries, applies the equivalent of a sales tax to every operation that creates value. To give an example, sheet steel is imported by a machine manufacturer. That manufacturer will pay the VAT on the purchase price, remitting that amount to the government. The manufacturer will then transform the steel into a machine, selling the machine for a higher price to a wholesale distributor. The manufacturer will collect the VAT on the higher price, but will remit to the government only the excess related to the "value added" (the price over the cost of the sheet steel). The wholesale distributor will then continue the process, charging the retail distributor the VAT on the entire price to the retailer, but remitting only the amount related to the distribution mark-up to the government. The last VAT amount is paid by the eventual retail customer who cannot recover any of the previously paid VAT. For a VAT and sales tax of identical rates, the total tax paid is the same, but it is paid at differing points in the process.Sales taxesSales taxes are levied when a commodity is sold to its final consumer. Retail organizations contend that such taxes discourage retail sales. The question of whether they are generally progressive or regressive is a subject of much current debate. People with higher incomes spend a lower proportion of them, so a flat-rate sales tax will tend to be regressive. It is therefore common to exempt food, utilities and other necessities from sales taxes, since poor people spend a higher proportion of their incomes on these commodities, so such exemptions make the tax more progressive. This is the classic "You pay for what you spend" tax, as only those who spend money on non-exempt (i.e. luxury) items pay the tax.ExcisesExcises (or exemptions from them) are also used to modify consumption patterns (social engineering). For example, a high excise is used to discourage alcohol consumption, relative to other goods. This may be combined with hypothecation if the proceeds are then used to pay for the costs of treating illness caused by alcohol abuse. Similar taxes may exist on tobacco, pornography, etc., and they may be collectively referred to as "sin taxes“.

11History of Taxes in ThailandThe management of national revenue goes back to the 15th century to the establishment of the Royal Treasury Department in It was one of the four principal government agencies decreed by King Boromtrilokanat of Ayuthya Era, to collect various forms of taxes and import duties, to deal in trade with foreign merchants, and to operate the Crown's warehouse business and merchant fleet. However, revenue and tax collection had not been efficient until the early Bangkok period at the turn of the 19th century. During the reign of King Rama III ( ), revenue collection was so low that tax concessionaire system was adopted. Leading businessmen, who offered the highest bids, were appointed tax collectors for certain types of business which the royal government maintained monopolies.During the reign of King Rama IV ( ), Thailand signed the Bowring Treaty with England in 1855, and opened its door wider to the international trading community. However, the Thai government had to concede the Crowns monopolies on certain commodities as well as the fixing of customs duty rate at no more than three percent. The country was at a disadvantage, but international trade grew. Foreign merchants, trading Mexican silver dollar for Thai currency to buy domestic goods, exhausted the money supply in circulation. As a result, the first Royal Mint was set up in 1860 to increase money in circulation.

12King Rama V ascended the throne in 1868 to find the national finance in deteriorating state, withcritical shortfall in revenue collection on all fronts, particularly the concession dues from Chinese concessionaires. Tax collection agencies, at that time, were undertaken by diverse departments, members of the royalties or high ranking officials. The collectors were laxed in delivering revenues to the Royal Treasury with virtually no system of accountable book- keeping. The king then proclaimed a decree in 1873 establishing the Royal Treasury as the central agency for revenue collection.The Royal Treasury office was located in the Grand Palace. Treasury officials were appointed. Their main tasks were to press for the delivery of the royal revenues collected by the various agencies concerned. Then, two years later in 1875,H.M. King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V of the present Chakri Dynasty) promulgated the Royal Treasury Act that institutionalized national revenue management and put it under the jurisdiction of one agency, the Royal Treasury Department. The Act instituted the official system for disbursement of the treasury fund, for auditing, for levying and collection of various categories of taxes,and for duties and liens under the responsibilities of the Royal Treasury. It also laid down the responsibilities, for administer ranks of civil servants and the legal duties for tax and customs officers in the collection of revenues.

13By virtue of the Royal Treasury Act, which was proclaimed on April 14, 1875, the Royal Treasury came into official existence as the government agency to administer the national finance in the collection of revenues, the management of the Crown Property and disbursement of royal fund. By evolution, the Royal Treasury had undergone developments in stages. Following the transition of the form of government from Absolute Monarchy to Constitutional Monarchy in 1932, the Ministry of Finance finally came into its own in 1933 by the Civil Service Reform Act of The Royal Treasury Ministry was then changed to the Ministry of Finance which now consists of 10 departments and 14 state enterprises